Vending-machine cabinet



April 15, 1930. w. H. ROWE VENDING MACHINE CABINET .Filed March 21,1927' 2 Sheets-Sheet l frlfnllllrllll//IIII ATTORN M. ME E MW o R HU wApril 15, 1930. w. H. RowE VENDING MACHINE CABNET 2 Shets-Sheet FiledMarch 2l, 1927 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

for retaining a stack of articles to be vended Patented Apr. 15, 1930PATENr OFFICE WILLIAM H. ROWE, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA VENDING-MACHIN E CABINET Application filed March 21, 1927. Serial No. 176,847.

This invention relates to vending machines.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved cabinetfor coin actuated vending machines.'

Another object of the invention is to provide improved articlecontainers for a vending machine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a vending machinewith novel means in close relationship. i

A further object of the invention is to pro- `vide a visible signalwhich will be automatically actuated when a stack of the vendablearticles has become exhausted.

A further object of the invention is to pro* vide a novel coinreceptacle and novel means for locking the same.

Other objects and advantages `of this in vention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front View of a vending machine embodying the features of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the vending machine showing the front doorand the top lid opened.

Fig. 3 is a top machine.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged central vertical section through the vendingmachine cabinet.

Fig. 5 isa section taken'on line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of plan view of the vending Fig.4. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of the lower end of an articlecontainer showing the eX- hausted signal actuated.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 1,.

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 1 with the coin actuatedplungers removed.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary top end view'of the article weight slide" rodand Fig. 11 is a fragmentary View of the article weight showing thecatch mechanism thereof. i

Referring to the drawings by reference characters I have indicated acabinet embodyin@r the features of my invention at 10. The ca inetincludes L-shaped side members l1 joined in the rear by a back 12 and inthe front by a front vplate 13. The cabinet is provided with a shelf 14above the front plate 13 and has a plurality of coin slots 15 therein.Above the shelf 14 there is a door 16 hinged as at 17 to one of thesides 11 and provided with locking means 18 at the ot-her side of thecabinet. The door 16 preferably includes a transparent panel 16 shown asa piece of glass.

The top of the cabinet is provided with a lid 19 which is hinged to therear part of each side 11 as at 2O and fits below a set of lugs 21 onthe door 16 when the door is closed. When thel door 16 is opened as inFig. 2 the lid 19 may be swung up, thus allowing complete access to aplurality of storage compartments 23 in which the packages to be vended,shown as packages 24 of cigarettes, are arranged.

The shelf 14 is secured to lugs 25 of each of the side walls 11 bycountersunk screws 26 and locked in position, when the door 16 is closedby an upstanding liange 27 (see Fig. 8) which abuts a downwardlyextending fiange 28 of the door 16, thus even though the front screws 26are removed the shelf 14 cannot be removed so long as the door 16remains closed. Furthermore the rearward set of screws 26 are arrangedbeneath the door 16 when it is in a closed position so that the rear setof screws cannot be removed unless the door 1.6 is swung open.

The front plate 13 is provided with rearwardly extending lugs 29 whichare secured to lugs 30 of each of the side walls 11 by means of screws31. The front plate is retained in position adjacent the top by engaginga downwardly extending flange 32 integral with the shelf 14.

The back 12 which is preferably made of wood is shown as secured to lugs33 of each of the side walls 11 by screws 34, by a plurality of lugs 35also integral with each of the side walls 11 and by a downwardly ex-vtending lange 36 and lugs 37 provided on the lid 19.

Arranged below the shelf 14 I show a coin receptacle 38 secured to thelugs 39 on each -The door 42 is adapte of the side walls 11 by screws40. The bottom wall 41 of the coinrecepta'cle is inclined downwardlyfrom each side towards the center where a trap door 42 is provided. The.

.f at its upper edge fits in front of a downwardfront plate 13. On therear of the front 1y extending flange 47 integral with the front plate13 (see Fig. 4) and at -the lower edge the closure is provided with adownwardly extending fiange 48- which fits behind the front plate 13.VAdjacent the top edge of the closure 46 a lock 49 is provided, the bolt50 of which fits behind a lug 51 integral with the late 13 adjacent thelock 49 and spaced there rom a lug 52 is provided which engages thetongue 44 and which will, when the front plate 13 is in position, causethe door 42 to become immovable by reason of the engagement between thetongue and the lug 52.

Any desired number of storage compartments 23 may be provided. Eachcompartrrent comprises side walls 55, a rear channel 56, front flanges57 and bottom flanges 58 which serve as supports for the packa es 24.The flanges 58 do not extend the full ength of a storage compartment andthe bottom 59 of "1e channel 56 is spaced above the flanges 58 to allowpackages 24 to be expelled from the storage compartment. The rear of thechannel portion 56 has a lip 60 secured thereto which is adapted to fitover the upwardly extendin portion of an angle bar 61 thereby removab ysupporting the storage compartment 23. `The angle bar 61 is secured toeach of the sides 11 and another angle bar 62 is provided adjacent thelower end of the storage compartments to help retain them in position.

A weight 63 is provided in each of the.

storage compartments for retaining the packages of cigarettes in closestacked relation ship. This weight 63 is guided by the side wa ls o fthe storagecompartment and also by a vertical rod 64 which extends thelength of the storage compartment and is held in position by a head 64engaging the bottom 59 of the channel 56and a cross member 65 at the topof the channel (see Fig. 10). The rear portionof the rod 64 is ratchetvtoothed as at 66.l The weight 63 has an aperture 67 therethroughadapted to surround the rod 64 and at the rear of the weight I provide alatch mechanism 68 having a bolt 69 adapted to coact with the ratchetteeth 66 on the rod 64 vto revent the weight 63 from moving away rom thepacka es 24 if in the act of pilfering any person s ould open thecabinet and try to jostle the contents therefrom. A cross bar or handle70 on the bolt 69 allows the bolt to be disengaged from the ratchetteeth 66 for allowing the weight to be moved upward when the storagecompartment is being filled. v

I may also provide a signaling means 72 on the weight 63 which willbecome visible when the entire contents of the storage compartment hasbeen discharged. The signal 72 comprises a plate 73 pivoted to theweight as at 74 and connected to a pivoted bell crank 75 by a rod 76.The plate 73 normally lies flush with the top of the weight 63, that isso long as there is a package in the storage compartment as shown inFig. 4. When the entire contents of the storage compartment have beenexpelled as seen in Fig. 7 the bell crank@ 5 will strike against thebottom 59 of the channel and cause the plate 73 to be swung to avertical position thereby making visible any warning that may be printedupon the front face of the plate 73, such as Empty as'shown in thecentral storage compartment of the cabinet in Fig. yl.

On the underside of the channel bottom 59 I provide a fiat piece ofspring material 78 bent to press agalnstthe lowermost package in thestora e compartment. The spring 78 is quite flexiblebut neverthelessprevents the contents of the storage compartment from being j ostled outthrough the discharge opening in the Stora e compartment.

For guiding t e expelled packages to within reach of a' customer Iprovide a discharge slide 79 preferably made of a fiat piece of metaland held inf position between a plurality of lugs 80 on each of the sidemembers 1l.

For expellin lthe contents of the storage compartment Igprovide aplurality of coin controlled plungers 82. These plungers 82 as shown areof substantially the same type as shown and described in my co-pendingpatent ap' lication Serial No. 176,848, filed in the U. S. atent OfficeMarch 21, 1927 and as the particular construction of the plungermechanisms form no part of the present invention I do not deem itnecessary to go into 'a detailed description thereof other than to saythat the plungers include an actuating stem 83 which extends through thefront plate 13 and an ejector pawl 84. The plungers 82 are ada ted to beremovably supported by the side walls of the coin receptacle 38 byproviding in the side Walls of the coin receptacle, apertures 85 of thesame conti uration as'the plungers. The plungers are `a so furtherpositiorned by inwardly extending lugs 86 on the front plate 13 anddownwardly extending lugs 87 on the shelf 14 (see Fig. 9).

When lone of the plungers 82 has been freed by insertingcoins thereinthrough the coin slots 15 and 'moved towards the rear of the cabinet thepawl v84 will abut the lowermost package in the storage compartment andforce it rearwardly olf of the'langes 58 against the tension of thespring 7 8 which will, as soon as the package is free from the flanges58, impel it forward and out on the discharge chute 7 9. Before thepackage is released from the flanges 58 the coins in the plunger 82 willfall into the coin receptacle 3 8.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have providedan eflicient and serviceable vending machine cabinet including novelfeatures.

What I claim is:

' 1. A vending machine cabinet comprising a pair of L-shaped side walls,a back mem. ber, a closure door and a front plate, a top member for saidcabinet, said back member being secured on said side walls, means tohold said back member rigid when said top member is in a closedposition, said top and said closure door being hingedly mounted,

` means forsecuring said closure door in a means to hold closedposition, means on said closure door coacting with said top member forretaining said top member rigid when said closure door is in a closedposition, said front plate being secured on said side walls.

2. A vending machine cabinet comprising a pair of side walls, a backmember, a shelf connecting said side walls, a closure door above saidshelf and a front plate below said shelf, a top member for said cabinet,said back member being secured on said side walls, said back memberrigid when said top member is in a closed position, said top and saidclosure door being hingedly mounted, means for securing said closuredoor in closed position, means coacting with said top member .forretaining said top member rigid when said closure door is in a closedposition, said shelf being secured by means inaccessible when saidclosure door is in a closed position, and means on said shelf coactingwith means on said closure door for preventing the removal of said shelfwhen said closure door is in a closed position, and means coacting withsaid front plate for preventin the removal of said front plate when saidshelf is in a fixed position.

3. A vending machine cabinet comprising a pair of L-shaped side walls, aback member, a

transversely extendingshelf connecting said -curing said side walls, aclosure door above said shelf and aV front plate below said shelf, a topmember for said cab'inet, said back member being se# cured on saidsidewalls, means to hold said back member rigid when said'top member is in aclosed! osition, said top and said closure door 'being ingedly mounted,means for vsemeans for retaining saidtop memberrigid 'l when saidclosure door is in a closed position,

said shelf being secured by means inaccessible when said closure door 1sin a closed position, and means coacting w1th means on said cloclosuredoor in closed position,

sure door'for preventing the removal of said shelf when said closuredoor is in a closed position. e y' 4. A vending machine cabinetcomprising a pair of L-shaped side walls, a back member, a transversely7extending shelf connecting said side walls, a closure door above saidshelf, a front plate below said shelf, a top member for said cabinet,said back member being secured on said side walls, means to hold saidback member rigid when said top member is in a closed position, said topand said closure door being hingedly mounted, means for securing saidclosure 4door in closed position, means on said closure door coactingwith said top member for retaining said top member rigid when saidclosure door is in a closed position, said closure door including atransparent portion, said shelf being secured by means inaccessible whensaid closure door is in a closed position, and means on said shelfcoacting with means on said closure door for prevent-ing the removal ofsaid shelf when said closure door is in a closed position, said frontplate being secured to each of saidl side walls and means coacting withsaid front plate for preventing the removal of said front plate whensaid shelf isin a fixed position.

5. A vending machine cabinet comprising a pair of L-shaped side walls, aback member, a shelf connecting said side walls, a closure door abovesaid shelf and a front plate below said shelf, a top'member for saidcabinet, said back member being secured on said side walls, means tohold said back member rigid when said top member is in a closedposition, said top member being hingedly mounted, means for securingsaid closure door in closed posi-- tion, means coacting with said topmember for retaining said top member rigid, means for preventing removalof said shelf when said closure door is in a closed position, and meansfor preventing the removal of said front plate. I

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM H. Rown

